But to use them again, you've got to find them. A typical hard disk
stores thousands of files. How can you pan for gold in your river of
files? Let me introduce the Find function in WordPerfect for DOS
5.1 and 6.0.

It's purpose is to scan the contents of files on disk to locate the word
or phrase you specify. It's fast and easy to search through your
documents for research purposes, to update records, or to re-use
boilerplate text.

Find lived for a long time as item #9 on the List Files screen. (In
version 4.2, it was called "Word Search.") Since version 6.0, it's
been called QuickFinder.

Long hobbled by it's limitation of working in only one directory at a
time, the version 6.0 QuickFinder solves this problem and adds
impressive new features. Now you can search using proximity logic;
index files for very fast searches; and search the whole disk drive, an
entire branch of directories, or an index spanning multiple disks or
directories.

I recently encountered a practical demonstration of how useful this
feature can be. A mailing I sent out returned dozens of undeliverable
envelopes back to me. Since I keep my mailing lists categorized in
several address list files, I had to search amongst them to find each
address. In WordPerfect 5.1, I used F5/List Files to display my
address lists (F5, C:\MAILING\*.LST, Enter). Then I pressed the
letter "F" to select 9/Find, then "E" (item #4) to search the entire
contents of each address list file. At the "Word Pattern:" prompt, I
typed in the name from the envelope and pressed Enter. After a very
quick search, the resulting List Files screen was reduced to a single
file that contained the name I searched for. Then it was simple to
retrieve the file, use F2 to search within it to locate the entry, and
correct it.

WORDPERFECT 5.1

Now you'll see a menu across the bottom of your screen which
includes:

3 First Pg; 4 Entire Doc; 5 Conditions

Select 3 or 4 to define the depth of your search. Then, at the "Word
pattern:" prompt, type the words you're looking for (to get some
help, tap F3 then press "W" for an informative screen
about logical operators). The search is rapid, counting up the files as
it scans them, ending with a List Files screen of the files which
contain the word pattern.

For a tiered approach, you may search again through the resulting list
of files; simply press "F".

To narrow your search using filename wildcards, begin the process
with F5, but then pause to change the *.* to a more specific pattern;
for example, *.INV or EXP*.* to list invoices or expense reports.

For more control, choose "5 Conditions" at the
beginning of your search. Here you can add multiple criteria for a
search, including a date range and searches within document summary
fields.

Here's a handy trick to see the list of search results again. If you
leave List Files, say to work on one of the files you found, get back
to it by tapping the F5 key twice -- this will redisplay the last List
Files screen you viewed.

WORDPERFECT 6.0

After selecting QuickFinder from the File Manager (F5, Enter, "F"),
you'll see a well-organized screen titled QuickFinder Search. This is
a grown-up version of the Find:Conditions screen in WP 5.1. To
move from field to field, use your mouse, Tab and Shift+Tab, or the
mnemonic letters and the function keys as they become visible.

In the "Search For:" field, type the words you seek. To use AND
and OR logic, tap F2 for Operators (here also is "Closeness of
Words" which allows proximity searching for words within the same
page, paragraph, sentence, line, etc.).

"Search In:" allows you to specify the scope of the search: Drive,
Directory, Subtree, or Index. Drive will search the entire disk.
Subtree includes files in all subdirectory branches.

Index searches are fast and powerful. Tremendous speed comes from
the index file -- essentially a sorted list of the pooled words with
pointers to the files that contain them -- which must be setup in
advance and reindexed as needed.

"File Pattern:" allows you to use the *.* pattern to your advantage.
Narrow your search by specifying the first few letters of the
filenames (such as SMITH*.*), or indicate a filename extension (such
as *.INV, *.FAX, *.LTR).

To enable searching within the document summary fields, at the
QuickFinder Search screen, press Setup/Shift+F1 and select item 3.
This allows you to scroll through a list of document summary fields
to specify search terms.

To redisplay the results of previous searches, select Redo, a button
near the bottom right. For a tiered approach, you may search again
through the resulting list of files; press "F" once again, then set
"Search In:" to "Search Results".

In both versions, 5.1 and 6.0, to search for verbatim phrases, they
should be enclosed in quotes. For example, the word pattern of
Karl Marx
would find a file that contains Karl Mauldin and Groucho Marx. But
the word pattern
"Karl Marx"
would find only exact matches.

Now when you need to find it fast, let WordPerfect do the looking.
"Even in a casserole, you can find God" according to St. Teresa of
Avila. Just think what you might find on your hard disk!